Monday, December 24, 2007

Best Job in the World

This is the fourth night in a row that I've fallen asleep on the couch, watching TV, early, only to wake up stiff, cold and disoriented, early in the morning. Whoa.....

I think I fell asleep last night around 9:00 p.m., right after the end of the amazing race. And I just woke up, at 5:14 a.m. Whoa......

Before the Amazing Race, the doorbell rang. It was two sisters who live in North Albany, for whom I took in a couple strays they'd been feeding. They had presents! A T-shirt, some candy, some slippers, gift card to Freddies. They said I shouldn't be forgotten because I do so much for other people and cats... It was so delightful to have them show up like that--all dressed up warmly, in warm coats and gloves--just like you think about what someone might do on Christmas. They were like Santa Clauses!

They're really fun people. I thought that when I helped them with their cats. And they also paid for those cats who went in, too. You just don't see that much. So these are extraordinary Albany citizens.

That Philomath woman had brought me a Christmas tree ten days or so ago, like Santa Claus. They sell them this time of year. I'd helped her with a bunch of cats, most recently with a cat she caught who needed an eye removed, which was done, at the end of a very long day, at the Neuterscooter clinic in Corvallis. The poor boy, now named Seymour, even though I suggested he maybe should be named Seyless (get it?), now purrs his head off and adores his catnip and likely is going to be a beloved house pet.

I paid for that eye to be removed, but in reality, although I say I paid, I really didn't. I had gotten a donation from a very kind older woman, who lives in Newburg, who is also good to me, that I used to cover that eye being removed. (Thank you Esther!). It all works out in the end.

I have been very blessed. I love helping cats. Sometimes I act mean about it, like I'm some martyr or something. But in reality, I love helping cats and the friends I've made helping cats, well that's something else, something wonderful.

Like Kathy from Philomath. Like these N. Albany sisters. Like the Newburg woman, although I've not met her yet. Like Suzanne of Vancouver, who adopted a Siamese from a collectors trailer in Lebanon. Samson.

I waded through cat shit that was unbelievable and suffered some unbelievable things to help those 27 cats in that cat feces filled trailer. But I made some wonderful friends as a result and would never in a million years have not done what I did in that horrible trailer, even had I not known, like I didn't then, that in adopting out those cats, I would make friends for life. Friends like Suzanne.

I got to meet people like Dr. Anderson, that vet, who used to own Countryside, now retired and moved off to some south state, a lucky state. He was a kind man, who cared about all the right things. His mother-in-law told me he left behind, when he retired and moved away, a lot of money people owed him, just walked away from it like it didn't matter. I guess it didn't matter much to him. Priorities. He's sure got a following still. I guess I'm kind of a Dr. Anderson groupie. I admire him and his values.

If you talk about values, hard work and kindness and giving natures, I'd have to say the Poppa Inc. volunteers are the best in the state and probably among the best in the world. None of them get paid a dime, and yet, what that handful of volunteers has accomplished for Oregon, with heart and soul and hard work, is unbelievable. Yeah, Keni, Beccy, and all the Recycled Gardens volunteers and the owner of the RG land out there, I'm talking about you. You're my big time heroes. BIG TIME!

The cats have helped me, as I've helped them, get what I need from life---Love. Giving all I've got to give, gives me back a million fold over. I have a blessed life. And I get to help people and cats. Best job in the world. Sure it has a downside, but not much of a downside, when I think of the big picture.

I haven't any skills really, except helping cats and I have a big heart. I like to help people. It makes me feel good days' end. Makes me feel like I've done something valuable day's end. Helping the cats, same thing.

I complain, I know. Usually when worn out. Fact is, sometimes when I complain about people, I feel for some reason I should complain about them, maybe because of their lifestyle, or I'm trying to make myself feel better by putting somebody else lower.

That's not right. And in reality, most of the people I help out, no matter how bad I don't like some of the things they do, I like them, connect with them, empathize with them, wish I could help them even more.

And here's the even more mysterious and wonderful part: these people out there in cyberspace, I've never met, who read my blog, send me things, give me encouragement, support, and I've never even met them.

You know, out there, who you are. Like Kate in California, off to Vegas for Christmas, who sends me constant encouragement, even some sunglasses last summer, and recently a big old box of presents that included a robe and warm top and fuzzy blanket.

I've forgotten to put in here a million people. I apologize for leaving really crucially wonderful people out. I'm fading upstairs sometimes, if you get my drift. But for sure I would mention Mike and Linda, who live in Gresham and are wonderful, although if I passed them on the street, I wouldn't know it, I wouldn't I'm telling you.

And Leigh Ann, a cat woman in Las Vegas with many extreme health issues, who is so kind to me, and now spending Christmas, I hope, with her family in Canada. And the cat blogospherees, who helped raise money for Hope's surgery and care, who are just wonderful, including MaryLyn of Texas......

And Midori and her sister, I love you both. Midori and her husband adopted Little Miss Sunshine. Midori could be a comedian and I told her she should be, the way she can make you laugh and tell stories, holding off on the punchline until you can't stand it anymore, then giving in, at just the right moment.

And Marianne of Canada, who adopted Mickey, the one-eyed boy, she's an animal saint, and also, a retired magician. I never dreamed I'd meet a magician.

I never dreamed in my 30 years locked up away from the world inside the mental health system, that once I escaped that horrid system, and I only escaped because I got beaten nearly to death by staff on a psyche ward, that I would get a life finally, and get to do things I only dreamed of doing--acts that save desperate lives, and in so doing, I'd save myself.

My real life began in the year 2001--the year I just said "no", finally, to the mental health system and walked away from it, the year I got a metal plate in my neck to repair damage done in a beating. I've had six years of real life now, jam packed full of living and loving and helping out the strays. I've had six beautiful years of life!

If I've offended you with my rough edged ways, forgive me please. I'm still a child learning. I was isolated so long.

It's Christmas Eve. Another day. Life is the greatest gift. It could be snatched from any one of us at any moment. I don't care if there's a heaven or no heaven. I'm not trying to earn my way into anywhere. I just like helping out the strays. I like it. So I do it, and in the process, I've met the best people in the world.

There are so many suffering souls in this world. I am a lucky soul, a very very lucky soul.

Merry Christmas to all!

3 comments:

  1. Jody,

    Have a great Christmas. Stay warm & dry.

    M&L

    ReplyDelete
  2. You too, Mike and Linda! I have all sorts of warm things now. I have a very fuzzy robe, sent to me by Kate from California. And a throw blanket she sent. And my brother also sent me a very soft blanket. So warm I am. How about you? Are you warm and how will you celebrate Christmas? I know people think of Christmas in a zillion different ways. I used to just take a walk in the woods every Christmas. It was very peaceful, nobody else out usually. I could envision or pretend that everywhere on earth was at peace at that moment.

    I just watched Christmas Truce, the spontaneous truce of British and German trench warfare soldiers during WWI. Amazing. It was on the history channel. Those boys didn't want to kill each other.

    ReplyDelete
  3. For us Christmas day will be spent quietly at home at the keyboard, trying to find a worthwhile tv program or enjoying a good book. Family obligations have been completed so it is private time with the cats (if you find one awake). We don't plan on leaving the house until Wednesday. It is cold outside but we are warm & comfortable. Hope you enjoy the day.

    M&L

    ReplyDelete

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